Recent scientific data about the dangers of spanking children has given rise to an antispanking trend that is sweepingacross Europe and around the world. Beginning with Sweden in 1979, twelve countries have now formally banned thepractice of spanking children in all forms, i.e., in schools and by parents. Another twelve countries and Mexico City havelegislation pending that would ban spanking. The United Nations has adopted a formal policy against all forms of violence against children, including subabusive corporal punishment such as spanking, and every United Nations membercountry has ratified the policy except for the United States and Somalia. In addition, numerous private organizations, including the American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and the American Bar Association,have adopted formal policy statements against the use of all forms of corporal punishment on children, including parentalspanking. [FN9]American law should follow the worldwide trend to eradicate violence as a child-rearing method. The emergence ofscientific data disfavoring child corporal punishment compels a reassessment of American law that allows and supportsits use. More specifically, the American parental "discipline" defense to torts and crimes allows and supports the use ofcorporal punishment against children and is based on outdated notions about the benefits of corporal punishment that arecontrary to contemporary data. Thus, the discipline defense should be abolished. [FN10]
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